JayBee No pins in Scotland. Just Link and Buffer on the older carriages.
No pins in Scotland. Just Link and Buffer on the older carriages.
That's not quite correct. The "Royal Scotsman" consists mainly of Mark 1 Pullman cars, all of which have knuckle couplers. Flying Scotsman has a knuckle coupler on its tender, so it is most likely that these were in use (although on both the locomotive and coach, the coupler can be dropped to allow the use of screw couplers). It is most likely that the knuckles were in use.
Here is a video showing the car concerned.
The Aftermath Of Flying Scotsman's Crash - YouTube
It is possible that the frame is bent slightly. This car was built with normal vestibules at each end and was converted to have an open platform at the end involved in the impact. This conversion might have affected the underframe strength.
Most locomotives in the UK do not have knuckle couplers, Flying Scotsman being an exception. So coupling two knuckles might be unfamiliar to some crews, although you'd expect the Flying Scotsman crew to be familiar.
Peter
SD70DudeWhat!? Seriously!? That's it!? And it made the news!? I mean that is more than a bit embarrasing on a train full of passengers, especially if you spilled people's drinks or damaged part of the coupling equipment (whatever the British equivalent of bypassed drawbars is). Of course the British tabloids would call this a train crash.
Well said. British tabloids are the absolute worst. Keep in mind The Telegraph is the souce of most of these outrageous headlines and it's for sale. They are trying to drive up views to justify a higher price to a buyer.
I once read that to the British, a battle in which a thousand men died could be referred to later as "a bit of a dust-up," but let two women wear the same dress to a party and the resultant raised eye brows would be called "a hell of a row." So it is with this "train crash."
I thought I heard some teacups breaking...
Never mind poor communication - the loco shouldn't have been coming in that fast for a coupling in the first place. And have they never heard of a safety stop?
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
zugmann Here's a video. Not a crash - just a hard coupling. Ignore the comments from the morons that never drove anything larger than a Fiat (and probably took out their fair share of planters trying to park it).
Here's a video.
Not a crash - just a hard coupling. Ignore the comments from the morons that never drove anything larger than a Fiat (and probably took out their fair share of planters trying to park it).
What!? Seriously!? That's it!? And it made the news!?
I mean that is more than a bit embarrasing on a train full of passengers, especially if you spilled people's drinks or damaged part of the coupling equipment (whatever the British equivalent of bypassed drawbars is).
Of course the British tabloids would call this a train crash.
Imagine if they ever find out about kicking, humping and drops........
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
zugmannHere's a video. Not a crash - just a hard coupling. Ignore the comments from the morons that never drove anything larger than a Fiat (and probably took out their fair share of planters trying to park it).
Poor crew communication in making a coupling. Was the crew operating on hand signals or radio signals?
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
My understanding is that the locomotive was backing down to couple to the train. The consist presumably had some brakes set -- I do not know if the service brake is still vacuum.
The locomotive backs into buffer contact and then compresses the buffers partway; someone then goes 'between the cars', hooks up the screw link extended, and then screws the coupling up tight compressing the buffers further.
The reports seem to be indicating that the locomotive inadvertently accelerated to come hard up against the consist. A poorly lapped-in or stiff regulator might contribute to this, with the effect potentially aggravated if too quick an opening caused priming carryover. Flying Scotsman is built with her superheater elements ahead of the throttle, as was typical in contemporary British practice, and any carryover flashing to steam in the elements would cause just the sort of short-term acceleration we see here. (Remember the Blue Peter incident, which started this way and was complicated by the valve gear winding itself out...)
samfp1943iT IS CALLED: "Train handling"..
There's a bit more to it than that.
BaltACDDon't think they have a 'pin' on the other side of the pond.
Still have to come up on the bumpers...
iT IS CALLED: "Train handling"..
Some engineers are very adept at it; They can start AND STOP a long train, with only a whisper of air, and a little noise.
Others handle their train like it was a rolling train wreck;
[much violent air action, BRAKE NOISE, AND LOTS OF CLANGING AND BANGING.]
These types seem to be most notiiceable at night :-(
tree68 jeffhergert Got to get that pin to drop. I was bringing in a loco to a hitch one day and the engineer was quite proud that he'd come in very gently. But the pin didn't drop. "Take it out and try it again..."
jeffhergert Got to get that pin to drop.
I was bringing in a loco to a hitch one day and the engineer was quite proud that he'd come in very gently. But the pin didn't drop. "Take it out and try it again..."
A few years ago my wife and I took Amtrak from Ottumwa IA to San Francisco (Emeryville) and back. (Only 20 mins late into Emeryville.) On the way home they picked up 3 or 4 private cars on the hind end. Took 3 tries before they made the joint. That cost us about an hour, with UP west of Salt Lake already putting us 2 hours "off the advertised."
Jeff
jeffhergert tree68 We had an engineer who was known for his "energetic" couplings. Sounds like something similar. Got to get that pin to drop. Jeff
tree68 We had an engineer who was known for his "energetic" couplings. Sounds like something similar.
We had an engineer who was known for his "energetic" couplings. Sounds like something similar.
Got to get that pin to drop.
Don't think they have a 'pin' on the other side of the pond.
jeffhergertGot to get that pin to drop.
If that happened in the US there would be more lawyers than passengers at the station.
rdamon"A number of other passengers were assessed by the ambulance service at the scene and did not require hospital treatment."
Sadly, the cup of coffee on the control stand did not make it.
edit - cup of tea, I guess?
Priming carryover into the elements?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-66967170
Excursion operators Belmond said a "shunting incident" occurred when Flying Scotsman was being coupled with the company's Royal Scotsman carriages.
A spokesperson said: "As a precaution, two people - a man and a woman - were taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness by the Scottish Ambulance Service for treatment. Their injuries are not believed to be serious.
"A number of other passengers were assessed by the ambulance service at the scene and did not require hospital treatment."
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